Steam-pipe rack drier



G. E. LUCE;

STEAM PIPE RACK DRIER. APPLICATION FILED APR-13, 1920- 1 ,S3,$5 Patented Oct. 24, 1922.

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W We? G,E.LUCE STEAM PIPE HACK DRIER. APPLICATION FILED APR. 13, 1920- 4. a fih w w wwwl MN @N mmnw w M g W6 m m m v 4 7W ,QN v W G. E. LUCE. STEAM PIPE BACK DRIER. APPLICATION man APR. 13. 1920.

Patented @ct. 24, 1222.,

GRAFTON n. LUGE, or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

STEAM-PIPE RACK nnrnn.

Application filed April 13, 1920. Serial No. 373,599.

T ll i it may ggncgyw; ment of the elements comprising the expan- Be it known that I, G AFTON E. Loon, a sion of a steam pipe rack drier for rendercitizen of the United States, and resident of 111g all unions and couplings employed read- Chicago, in the county of Cook and State ily accessible for assembly, adjustment. and of Illinois, have invented an improvement dismounting. in Steam-Pipe Rack Driers, of which the Other objects and novel features of confollowing description, in connection with the struction and arrangement of parts will apaccompanying drawings, is a specification, pear as the description of the invention prolike letters on the drawings representing like grosses. part In the accompanying drawings illustrating My present invention relates to driers, and the preferred embodiment of my invention, more particularly to steam pipe rack driers Fig. l is an end elevation of my improved for use in the preliminary drying or curing expansion end for steam pipe rack driers, of green brick preparatory to placing such Fig. 2 is a plan view, bricks .in a kiln to be burned. Fig. 3 is a fragmei'itary front elevation,

Steam pipe rack driers, to which my in and vent-ion has been applied, are usually con- Fig. 4: is an enlarged vertical sectional structed of pipes arranged in the form of view on the line. d4t of Fig. 2. shelves spaced an appropriate distance from Referring to the drawings, 10 designates a center to center, depending on whether soft base plate, of sheet, metal or the like, on mud or stiff mud bricks are to be dried therewhich is placed the pipe support 11, this in. Steel pallets are provided on which the pipe support being rigidly secured to the green bricks are placed, these pallets being wall 12 of the drier building, in any conslid into place on the shelves formed by the venient manner. This pipe support is proseries of pipes. In these driers considerable vided with regularly spaced holes, not difficulty has been experienced in devising shown, through. which extend the ends of suitable expansion means for taking up the the pipes 13 of the drier. These pipes 13 longitudinal expansion of the pipes constiare properly spaced, both vertically and hortuting the rack, and this is true particularly izontally, to define a. plurality of shelves in high pressure pipe rack driers. The eX- on which may be placed the pallets 1d, of pension means is usually located at the exany suitable material, carrying each a pluhaust end of the series of pipes constituting rality of bricks 15. The ends of the pipes the rack and when built up in the ordinary 13 are threaded, as shown in Fig. 4, for a way, it is extremely diflicult to keep the purpose to be hereinafter described. joints steam tight. Constant attendance is A. plurality of upright headers 16, 16, necessary, and with the'usual type of joint, 16, 16, one for each vertical row of the special tools are necessary for assembling, pipes 13, four as shown in Fig. 2, terminate adjusting, and dismounting the rack, as it is at the bottom in a mainfold 17 provided physically impossible to reach the connecting with a flanged outlet 18 for connectiorrto couplings with ordinary tools. trap. The headers 16 and m n f 1 F885 With a view to improving driers of this on a frame 19, which turn is secured to type, I have devised an expansion end, or the plate 1Q, in any convenient manner. head, which remains stationary, while the One side of each header 16 1s provlded e ds f th pipes Comprising th Series 1 ith a plurality of threaded holes, equal in pipes may move individually in th ,e annumber to the number of vertically arranged sion end of head. Again ldia v so devised pipes 13, and 111 each of these holes is screwed the end or head, thatallcoiiplings or unions a nipple 20, provided at its outer end with employed for connection or assembly are in threads 21 and with an annular chamber 22 plain view and readily accessible, thus enconstituting one element of a stuiiing box. abling the elements constituting the pipe Shdably mounted in each nlpple 13 1s a short rack drier to be assembled, adjusted, and length of pipe 23, whose outer end is threaddismounted by the use of ordinary tools. ed, as shown in Flg. 4. A union 2% con- An object of my invention therefore, is an nects each plpe 23 with pipe Slid improved expansion end for a steam pipe able with respect to the p1pe23 1s a stuffrack drier. ing nut 25 which screws onto the threads Another object is an improved arrange- 21 of the nipple 20. A gland 26 at its inner end 27 fits into the annular chamber 22, and as the stuffing nut forces the gland 26 into the chamber 22, the packing 28 is compressed, forming a steam tight joint between the pipe 23 and nipple 20.

Brace supports 29 and 30 connect the headers 16 With the pipe support 11 and this construction ties the entire endof the-exhaust together, and makes a brace sufi'icient to Withstand the pressure exerted by the expansion of the pipes 13 through the st-niling boxes, and thereby preventing movement of the individual headers 16.

As Will be noted by reference to Fig. 2, the header 16 located nearest the front of the pipe rack drier has all unions 24 and stuffing nuts 25 readily accessible for assembly, adjustment and dismounting, and that the next header 16 is located behind and at one side of the first named header, in such a position relative thereto as to render the unions 2-1 and stalling nuts 25 of the second header readily accessible. Each succeeding header is in like manner located behind and at one side of the preceding header.

It Will be readily understood that With my improved construction, I may readily assemble and dismount the elements referred to above, and adjust the same; that the ex haust header is rigidly positioned on the plate 10, and that each pipe 13 is movable relatively to the header to which ;it is attached to allow for unequal linear expansion of the individual pipes. Further, While I haveshown the pipe rack drier as being constructed of four vertical rows of pipes 13, such showing is for convenience of illustration only, and I may vary the number of vertical rows employed to meet commercial requirements.

My invention is further described and defined in the form of claims 'as "follows:

1. In a steam pipe rack drier, the combinationof a plurality of series of pipes arranged in vertical planes and defining a plurality of horizontal shelves, a plurality of headers, one for each series of pipes, expansion means connecting each pipe of each series of pipes to the appropriate header, each succeeding header being arranged behind and at one side of each .preceding header, whereby the expansion means are accessible for adjustment.

'2. In a steam pipe rack drier, the combination of a plurality of pipes, a base plate, an exhaust header pipe rigidly mounted on said plate, and an expansion "device connecting each pipe to the-exhaust header.

In testimony'whereo't', I have signed 'my name to this specification.

GRAFTON E. Loon. 

